I just had an excellent experience, and I want to share it with you.
But first: the back story
It’s becoming known on this site that I watch Kdramas, but what hasn’t been mentioned yet is that I am currently learning Korean. I started learning in the summer of 2020, though I didn’t get much farther than learning Hangul (the Korean alphabet) and some basic vocabulary. And since I wasn’t super dedicated to studying, I forgot most of the vocabulary (not the alphabet, though. That’s pretty solid in my memory).
In February of this year, though, I recommitted myself to learning. I researched online on which apps I should download, what online courses were available (and how good they were), and over time I had a few apps that target different aspects of learning Korean. One such app that I use and love is HelloTalk. HelloTalk is a global community app designed to facilitate language learning. So people can list their native language and target language on their profile and connect with native speakers of that target language.
Now: the really good experience
I just had a great conversation with someone I met through the app. A cool feature that HelloTalk has is that you can do a voice call or a video call through the app, which can be a great help when trying to practice speaking a language. And the conversation that I had with my friend wasn’t very deep or covering many topics, no, but it was mainly in Korean.
As someone who struggled with speaking through every single semester of Spanish that I took in college, I still feel nervous whenever I attempt to speak in Korean with a native Korean, especially since my vocabulary is lacking. Did I pat myself on the back afterward? Absolutely.
Why else does this experience matter to me?
Part of why I wanted to learn Korean was to open the door to more stories. I can watch Kdramas, read webtoons, even read Korean books that are translated into English. But that’s just the problem. I am dependent upon the subtitles and the translations. And stories don’t just come in pretty packagings like films, shows, books, and webtoons. People also tell stories, and I wouldn’t want to miss out on hearing new stories just because I don’t speak a language.
So now, when I watch a Korean show, I am starting to understand more of what they’re saying while still using subtitles; eventually, I will be able to go without subtitles. I will also be able to read the Korean books on my bookshelf and read the original versions of the webtoons that I love. There’s a long way yet for me to go, but I am getting there step by step.
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